BREAKING: Canada boosts CRS points for Express Entry candidates with high-wage job offers, drops LMIA requirement

Canada will boost priority for permanent residence selection for workers with job offers or eligible Canadian work experience in 186 higher-paying occupations, and will no longer require Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for the job offers to qualify.

The additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will be awarded automatically to qualifying active profiles starting on November 3, 2026.

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The federal government announced the change in a press release published on Oct 16, 2026, following a press conference in Kitchener at which Lena Diab had announced the change.

To qualify for the additional points, a candidate must have a job offer, or eligible Canadian work experience, in an occupation paying either 1.3x, 1.5x, or 2x the Canada-wide median wage.

The points are based on the Canada-wide median wage of the candidate's occupation according to official government data. The occupation is determined by the duties in the candidate's job offer: specifically, how the duties are categorized under Canada's National Occupation System (NOC).

As of the time of writing, the following occupations are eligible for bonus points under the current government list.

1.3x factor occupations:

• Accommodation service managers (NOC 60031)
• Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists (NOC 21112)
• Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors (NOC 22313)
• Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors (NOC 72404)
• Architects (NOC 21200)
• Archivists (NOC 51102)
• Assessors, business valuators and appraisers (NOC 12203)
• Authors and writers (except technical) (NOC 51111)
• Biologists and related scientists (NOC 21110)
• Border services, customs, and immigration officers (NOC 43203)
• Bricklayers (NOC 72320)
• Broadcast technicians (NOC 52112)
• Chemists (NOC 21101)
• Conservators and curators (NOC 51101)
• Construction inspectors (NOC 22233)
• Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades (NOC 72013)
• Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (NOC 72021)
• Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations (NOC 72010)
• Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades (NOC 72020)
• Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers (NOC 72014)
• Correctional service officers (NOC 43201)
• Crane operators (NOC 72500)
• Deck officers, water transport (NOC 72602)
• Dietitians and nutritionists (NOC 31121)
• Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41405)
• Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (NOC 22310)
• Engineer officers, water transport (NOC 72603)
• Financial advisors (NOC 11102)
• Financial and investment analysts (NOC 11101)
• Financial auditors and accountants (NOC 11100)
• Fishing masters and officers (NOC 83120)
• Gas fitters (NOC 72302)
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 72401)
• Human resources professionals (NOC 11200)
• Industrial electricians (NOC 72201)
• Insulators (NOC 72321)
• Insurance adjusters and claims examiners (NOC 12201)
• Ironworkers (NOC 72105)
• Land surveyors (NOC 21203)
• Landscape architects (NOC 21201)
• Legislators (NOC 00010)
• Managers in customer and personal services (NOC 60040)
• Medical laboratory technologists (NOC 32120)
• Medical radiation technologists (NOC 32121)
• Medical sonographers (NOC 32122)
• Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41400)
• Occupational health and safety specialists (NOC 22232)
• Other financial officers (NOC 11109)
• Other professional occupations in social science (NOC 41409)
• Paramedical occupations (NOC 32102)
• Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations (NOC 51120)
• Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators (NOC 93102)
• Railway carmen/women (NOC 72403)
• Railway conductors and brakemen/women (NOC 73311)
• Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors (NOC 50012)
• Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (NOC 32103)
• Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 60020)
• Sheet metal workers (NOC 72102)
• Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41403)
• Social workers (NOC 41300)
• Supervisors, logging and forestry (NOC 82010)
• Supervisors, mineral and metal processing (NOC 92010)
• Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology (NOC 22214)
• Technical writers (NOC 51112)
• Underground production and development miners (NOC 83100)
• Web developers and programmers (NOC 21234)

1.5x factor occupations:

• Administrators - post-secondary education and vocational training (NOC 40020)
• Advertising, marketing and public relations managers (NOC 10022)
• Aerospace engineers (NOC 21390)
• Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors (NOC 72600)
• Air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601)
• Audiologists and speech-language pathologists (NOC 31112)
• Boilermakers (NOC 72103)
• Business development officers and market researchers and analysts (NOC 41402)
• Business systems specialists (NOC 21221)
• Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing (NOC 93100)
• Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing (NOC 93101)
• Chemical engineers (NOC 21320)
• Civil engineers (NOC 21300)
• College and other vocational instructors (NOC 41210)
• Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces (NOC 40042)
• Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) (NOC 21311)
• Computer systems developers and programmers (NOC 21230)
• Construction managers (NOC 70010)
• Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations (NOC 72011)
• Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services (NOC 82021)
• Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades (NOC 72012)
• Cybersecurity specialists (NOC 21220)
• Data scientists (NOC 21211)
• Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 21223)
• Dental hygienists and dental therapists (NOC 32111)
• Dentists (NOC 31110)
• Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts (NOC 41401)
• Educational counsellors (NOC 41320)
• Electrical and electronics engineers (NOC 21310)
• Electrical power line and cable workers (NOC 72203)
• Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (NOC 41221)
• Elevator constructors and mechanics (NOC 72406)
• Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers (NOC 22231)
• Facility operation and maintenance managers (NOC 70012)
• Firefighters (NOC 42101)
• Forestry professionals (NOC 21111)
• Geological engineers (NOC 21331)
• Geoscientists and oceanographers (NOC 21102)
• Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41404)
• Industrial and manufacturing engineers (NOC 21321)
• Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics (NOC 22312)
• Information systems specialists (NOC 21222)
• Librarians (NOC 51100)
• Library, archive, museum and art gallery managers (NOC 50010)
• Managers - publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts (NOC 50011)
• Managers in health care (NOC 30010)
• Managers in social, community and correctional services (NOC 40030)
• Managers in transportation (NOC 70020)
• Manufacturing managers (NOC 90010)
• Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries (NOC 21210)
• Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301)
• Metallurgical and materials engineers (NOC 21322)
• Meteorologists and climatologists (NOC 21103)
• Nursing coordinators and supervisors (NOC 31300)
• Occupational therapists (NOC 31203)
• Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers (NOC 83101)
• Other administrative services managers (NOC 10019)
• Other business services managers (NOC 10029)
• Other professional engineers (NOC 21399)
• Other professional occupations in physical sciences (NOC 21109)
• Pharmacists (NOC 31120)
• Physicists and astronomers (NOC 21100)
• Physiotherapists (NOC 31202)
• Police investigators and other investigative occupations (NOC 41310)
• Police officers (except commissioned) (NOC 42100)
• Postal and courier services managers (NOC 70021)
• Power engineers and power systems operators (NOC 92100)
• Power system electricians (NOC 72202)
• Probation and parole officers (NOC 41311)
• Professional occupations in business management consulting (NOC 11201)
• Program officers unique to government (NOC 41407)
• Psychologists (NOC 31200)
• Public and environmental health and safety professionals (NOC 21120)
• Railway and yard locomotive engineers (NOC 73310)
• Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators (NOC 72604)
• Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 31301)
• School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education (NOC 40021)
• Secondary school teachers (NOC 41220)
• Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers (NOC 11103)
• Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities (NOC 00015)
• Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services (NOC 00014)
• Software developers and programmers (NOC 21232)
• Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231)
• Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers (NOC 72301)
• Supervisors, mining and quarrying (NOC 82020)
• Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities (NOC 92011)
• Supervisors, railway transport operations (NOC 72023)
• Telecommunication carriers managers (NOC 10030)
• Urban and land use planners (NOC 21202)

2x factor occupations

• Architecture and science managers (NOC 20011)
• Banking, credit and other investment managers (NOC 10021)
• Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services (NOC 40040)
• Computer and information systems managers (NOC 20012)
• Corporate sales managers (NOC 60010)
• Engineering managers (NOC 20010)
• Financial managers (NOC 10010)
• Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers (NOC 40041)
• General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102)
• Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration (NOC 40011)
• Government managers - education policy development and program administration (NOC 40012)
• Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration (NOC 40010)
• Human resources managers (NOC 10011)
• Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers (NOC 10020)
• Judges (NOC 41100)
• Lawyers and Quebec notaries (NOC 41101)
• Managers in natural resources production and fishing (NOC 80010)
• Mining engineers (NOC 21330)
• Nurse practitioners (NOC 31302)
• Other managers in public administration (NOC 40019)
• Petroleum engineers (NOC 21332)
• Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals (NOC 31303)
• Purchasing managers (NOC 10012)
• Senior government managers and officials (NOC 00011)
• Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services (NOC 00012)
• Senior managers - health, education, social and community services and membership organizations (NOC 00013)
• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC 31100)
• Specialists in surgery (NOC 31101)
• University professors and lecturers (NOC 41200)
• Utilities managers (NOC 90011)
• Veterinarians (NOC 31103)

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This is a breaking news story. CIC News will update this article as details emerge.